- ↳ Note: This article is about the character. For the comic, see Oz (comics).
- Willow: “I'm sorry about how all this ended up. With me shooting you, and all.”
- Oz: “That's okay. I'm sorry I almost ate you.”
- Willow: “That's okay.”
- — Willow Rosenberg and Oz[src]
Daniel Osbourne[2], known primarily as "Oz", was a member of the Scooby Gang, a werewolf, the guitarist of Dingoes Ate My Baby and a student both at Sunnydale High and UC Sunnydale. For some years he also was the boyfriend of witch Willow Rosenberg.
Biography
Sunnydale High
A taciturn, guitar-playing teen, Oz was the lead guitarist of the band Dingoes Ate My Baby with his friend Devon MacLeish who was on vocals. The two, along with other unnamed members of the band, frequently preformed at the Bronze nightclub. In his senior year, he became Willow Rosenberg's boyfriend. A high school senior, one year above Willow and the rest of the group, he tested well, but his only real ambition lay in his music, often missing important exams.
Senior Year
Oz notices Willow during Halloween
He noticed Willow in spite of (or perhaps because of) her Eskimo costume at a dance at the Bronze, and seemed to be interested in her at first sight.[3] It would take a while for the two to actually meet in person, but they eventually met face-to-face at a secluded lounge area when they both were potential recruits for a leading software company.[4] They officially started seeing each other after he protected her from being shot by Tarakan assassin Patrice during the Career Fair. Patrice, who was disguised as a police officer, was aiming for the Slayer, Buffy Summers, but accidentally shot Oz in the arm. The wound was superficial but he did spend some time with his arm in a sling.[5] Though Oz and Willow had several dates after this, they went into what Willow described as "some sort of holding pattern, except without the holding or... anything else".[6]
Despite being shot, Oz nevertheless takes a positive stance on it
Oz witnessed a vampire being dusted by Buffy while he was Willow's date at a surprise birthday party for Buffy, thus becoming a member of the Scooby Gang. He was unsurprised upon learning that vampires existed in Sunnydale, and merely remarked that it explained a lot.[7] When the Scooby Gang attempted to stop the Judge, Oz assisted in obtaining a rocket launcher by taking them to a military compound via his van. He also suggested the Sunnydale Mall as the place where the Judge would likely attempt to massacre a large number of people, which turned out to be correct.[8]
Oz transforms into a werewolf
Soon after, Oz discovered that he had become a werewolf, turning into a monster on the night of the full moon and the two nights surrounding it. He had been bitten by his pre-adolescent cousin Jordy when he tickled him, and called his aunt Maureen to ask if Jordy was indeed a werewolf. Maureen was apparently unfazed by the question and readily confirmed her son's condition. Worried that the Scooby Gang would kill him, Oz hid the fact of what happened to him as his werewolf side made itself noticed by attacking a local make-out park and the Bronze. On the third full moon night, Oz attempted to restrain himself with shackles and chains before transforming, but Willow interrupted his attempt to do so when she arrived to confront him about his recent behavior. After transforming Oz chased after Willow, and he was nearly killed by werewolf hunter Gib Cain for his pelt, but was saved by Buffy and the Scooby Gang. The following morning Oz suggested staying out of Willow's way for a while now that he was a werewolf, but Willow assured him she was okay with him being in her way, and they shared their first kiss.[6]
Oz visits Willow at the hospital
With the Scoobies' help Oz quickly found a way to minimize the danger posed by the wolf: he locked himself into a cage for the appropriate nights, watched over by the Scoobies in shifts. He also began consistently aiding the Scooby Gang, once searching for Buffy when she became a rat[9] and assisting Willow in preforming the Ritual of Restoration to restore Angelus' soul.[10]
Repeated Senior Year
Due to several incompletes and failing to attend summer school, Oz did not graduate with the rest of his class and was forced to repeat his senior year. This put him in the same class as the rest of the gang. [11]
Oz attempts to toss a stake at a fleeing vampire
Before Buffy returned to Sunnydale after she left for Los Angeles in the previous months, Oz accompanied Willow, Xander and Cordelia Chase in hunting vampires. However, their joint effort wasn't very effective: he claimed they had a success rate of six out of ten.[11] Upon Buffy's arrival back, he with his friends organized Buffy's welcome back party which Dingoes Ate My Baby played at.[12]
Oz and Xander arrive too late
During the year, he continued to handle his transformations well except for when he was suspected for killing Jeffrey Walken. It turned out he had actually been killed by the mutated Pete Clarner, who then also tried to kill Oz because he suspected he was involved with his girlfriend Debbie Foley. This was during sunset of a full moon night, however, so Pete forced Oz out of his cage just before Oz transformed, becoming evenly matched. After Buffy arrived, Oz ran off down the school halls and was apprehended by Willow and Faith Lehane who tranquilized him.[9] When Buffy, Willow and Amy Madison were at the risk of being burned at the stake by MOO (an anti-witchcraft parent organization under the influence of a demon), Oz and Xander attempted to save them by sneaking through the ventilation shafts of the building where the executions where going to take place. Their efforts were overshadowed by the rescue from Rupert Giles and Cordelia Chase, however. Willow's mother forgot everything about the ordeal except for Willow telling her she was dating a musician, forcing Oz to meet Willow's parents at dinner.[13]
Oz was briefly released in wolf form when the Sisterhood of Jhe attempted to open the Hellmouth. In the school's basement he encountered, killed and devoured a zombie named Jack O'Toole, who was just convinced by Xander to disarm a bomb he planted in the school. The next day Oz mentioned that he felt full, but didn't know why.[14]
Oz confronts Vampire Willow at the Bronze
After Willow and Xander were kidnapped and trapped by the vampire Spike, Oz and Cordelia were able to track them down using Oz's theretofore unknown enhanced sense of smell. They found Willow and Xander kissing, causing Oz to break up with Willow.[15] They got back together several weeks later after Oz confessed he missed her.[16]
Oz was held hostage by Willow's vampire counterpart from another dimension who raided the Bronze. Oz attempted to speak to her but was only recognized as his vampire hunting counterpart from her dimension.[17]
Oz wielding a bow and arrow during the Graduation Day battle
Oz and Willow had sex before the impending confrontation with the evil Mayor, concerned that they might die in battle.[18] Willow lost her virginity as a result, and Oz, despite having already lost his, admitted that "everything is different."
He took part in the battle at the Graduation Day, commanding a number of students armed with bows with flaming arrows.
After the high school blew up, Oz remarked that they survived, and Buffy said that it was "one heck of a battle". He corrected her, saying that he did not mean the the battle, but high school.[19]
College
After graduating, he attended UC Sunnydale, together with Buffy and Willow, and enrolled in "Introduction to Psychology" by Professor Walsh with them. Unlike the other two, he did not have a dorm room, but stayed in a house off campus along with the rest of the band.[20] Because the cage he used to lock himself up on the nights around the full moon was destroyed along with the rest of the library and Sunnydale High School during the fight against the Mayor, he locked himself up into a cage in a crypt at a local cemetery.[21]
Oz presents Angel with the Gem of Amarra
After Buffy obtained the Gem of Amarra from Spike who used it in an attempt to kill her during the day[22], Oz offered to deliver it to Buffy's ex-boyfriend and vampire Angel. He traveled to L.A. and dropped it off at Angel Investigations while he was in the city for a gig. Before returning to Sunnydale, Oz helped Cordelia, Doyle and Angel prevent Spike from getting the Gem of Amarra, who also traveled to L.A. and hired the vampire Marcus to torture Angel for the Gem's location. Oz intervened just in time by driving into the building that Angel was kept in, rescuing Angel and then taking him to the pier where Marcus was, who had had taken the gem himself.[23]
Oz's greatest fear comes at the worst of times
Despite the appearance that he had come to terms with his lycanthropy rather easily, it turned out he did hold great fear of his werewolf side. During a Halloween party, the fear demon Gachnar was summoned, whose presence materialized the fears of everyone withing the building. This caused Oz to partially transform into the wolf, though he tried to prevented it by controlling his fear while hiding in a bathtub. [24] Moreover, gradually, he started to see that he and the wolf were not as separate as he liked to believe. Although in love with Willow, he was nevertheless drawn to another musician and werewolf, Veruca, a fellow UC Sunnydale student who, unlike Oz, considered the wolf to be her true self.[21]
In college, Oz meets a female werewolf who makes him question his own nature.
Unable to control his primal urges, he spent a night in the cage with Veruca as wolves before killing her at the following sunset to protect Willow. Willow was appalled by his betrayal and tried to use magic to curse both of them, but didn't go through with it. The following morning, Oz resolved to immediately leave Sunnydale so as not to endanger his friends further. He dropped out of UC Sunnydale and left in his van, only taking a few essentials with him.[21] He later contacted Devon to send the rest of his belongings to him but did not contact Willow, which greatly upset her.[25]
Oz traveled on road and eventually overseas. He went through Mexico where his van broke down, forcing him to trade his bass guitar to have it fixed and garaged.[26] In Romania he met Dragomir[27], who sent him to Tibet. There, Buddhist monks taught him to suppress his transformations during the full moon with the help of charms, herbs, chanting, and meditation.[26] Here he also met a Tibetan woman and fellow werewolf, Bayarmaa, who tended to him during his stay in the monastery and with whom he meditated.[27]
With the techniques learnt in Tibet, Oz passes a full moon without transforming
Some months later, Oz returned to Sunnydale, believing that his lycanthropy was under control through techniques learned in Tibet, hoping to rejoin college and be with Willow again.[26] Although the moon no longer affected him, he could still transform into the werewolf when faced with strong emotion ("negative stimulation"), such as anger or pain. This transformation could occur during the day. He was unaware of this, and unintentionally transformed when he discovered that Tara Maclay had replaced him in Willow's affections. He chased her through the campus hallway before he was seized by the Initiative, a military demon research facility that kept him imprisoned. They treated him to cruel experiment, such as electrocuting him, forcibly making him turn from man to beast.[26]
Oz talks to Willow before leaving
He was put in a cell amongst other captive demons, naked and alone, until he was rescued by Buffy's boyfriend and Initiative agent Riley Finn. After dressing, Riley tried to sneak Oz out but they were then caught by Riley's fellow agents. Buffy, however, snuck into the military base dressed as a scientist and held Colonel McNamara hostage in exchange for Oz. The trade worked as planned but Riley was forced to leave the Initiative. Oz decided to leave Sunnydale again. He and Willow left on friendly terms, and Willow even admitted that she expected to run into him again at some point in her life.[26]
Tibet
Oz with his wife Bay and son Kelden
Oz returned to Tibet to continue the Buddhist practices of herbs, chants, and meditation to hold back the wolf, but realized nothing worked anymore. He was tempted to give in to his wolf side and lose himself in it, but did not, when Bayarmaa told him about the original Tibetan religion Bon. The two studied the original scriptures and built upon the religion to make their own traditions, which came down to seeing the spiritual life in all things in the world and being quietly aware that they were part of it all. The secret was not to bottle of the wolf, but to let the energy of it flow through them without taking them, letting it pass into the world around them, and "the wolf is pulled into the earth."[27]
Oz and Bayarmaa became involved and eventually had a son together, whom they named Kelden.[27]
The word about their accomplishments spread, prompting other werewolves to come to Tibet in hope of a cure. One of them was Monroe, and although his progress was promising, he went out into the world too soon. He "got tempted, lost his focus, forgot to let the power pass through him," and soon headed a group with beliefs similar to those of Veruca. During a full moon they entered the monastery and killed many of the monks, and intended to kill Bayarmaa and Oz if not for Bay transforming and incapacitating Monroe, prompting the rest of the group to flee. The group still posed a danger to Oz and his family, who carried knives with them at all times.[27]
When the Scooby Gang arrived in a giant submarine outside of Oz's monastery, Oz agreed to attempt a similar suppression for Willow and the Slayers' magical powers as Twilight, homing in on their magic, closed in on them, but stressed the considerable danger that Buffy brought to his doorstep.[27] Oz was injured in the battle against Twilight, but his injuries were minor.[28] After the battle, Willow assured Oz they would leave after clearing up their mess and apologized for bringing war to a place of peace. Oz responded that as this was Tibet they were not the first to do so.[29] When the Slayer Organization left, Oz stayed in Tibet with his family.
Personality and Traits
Oz was well known for his detached and collected demeanor and ironic approach to life, masking a deeply philosophical interior. For example, he took the existence of the supernatural in stride, remarking that it "explained a lot"[7], and reacted to the sight of a massive submarine teleporting outside of his monastery with a simple "Huh."[30] Oz also had a characteristic and smooth sense of humor, being witty and intellectual. As noted by Xander, Oz tended to express himself in short, non-committal phrases.[14] He approached life and situations rather eccentrically, once informing Willow that he would later ask her out on a date and asking what she would think of that despite claiming he was unsure and nervous about it.[7] Buffy claimed that Oz had a "trademark stoicism".[21]
When it came to him being a werewolf, Oz took this seriously and was very prudent about the risk he posed to others and how it affected him. He asked the Slayer Faith about her position on dealing with werewolves while she was reminiscing about her own enjoyment from slaying.[31] His love for Willow led him to leaving her and abandoning college to seek out a cure.[21][26]
Appearance
Clothes
In high school, Oz typically wore t-shirts underneath a bowler shirt, jeans and black boots. In college, he wore sneakers, baggy pants and a sheepskin jacket when outside. He also sometimes wore ear piercings, studded bracelets and sported black painted nails.
While in Tibet, he wore saffron colored monk's robes and sandals.[27] Upon his return to Sunnydale from Tibet he displayed a more natural look than before, wearing a v-neck sweater and prayer beads.[26] These prayer beads became a permanent part of his appearance, never taking them off from this point on. After moving to Tibet permanently, his outfits were mostly mixes of what he wore previously, ranging from monk's robes with a t-shirt over it, a combination of a long-sleeved shirt and a t-shirt, band shirts and sweaters.[32][29]
Hair
During high school, Oz usually kept his hair short, straight and spiked. In late 1997, Oz had a slight goatee which he eventually shaved. In college, Oz's hair was slightly longer, but after he left Sunnydale and subsequently returned, it was short again.[26]
One of Oz's most notable features was his hair color that continuously changed:
- Before meeting Willow, Oz had light red hair.[3]
- He dyed it chestnut brown after his first meeting with Willow, who noticed the change.[5]
- Oz dyed his hair blond after his first monthly transformations.[9]
- During the first months of his repeated senior year, Oz had dark hair with light spikes, which teenage Principal Snyder thought was "great hair".[11]
- Oz dyed his hair black around the time he began dating Willow again.[33]
- Oz dyed his hair blond shortly before graduation.[34]
- At graduation Oz had dark hair with light spikes again.[18]
- During college at UC Sunnydale and in Tibet Oz had auburn hair.
Werewolf
During his first transformation cycle, Oz's werewolf form was bipedal with a long snout, brown-grayish fur, erected ears and long, primal hands hands with sharp nails.[6] In further transformations his werewolf form had a quadrupedal body, a small tail, longer black fur with white fur on the lower part of his body, while his face remained bare with a wrinkled, pale, more-human appearance and a flatter nose.[9][14][21][26]
Powers and Abilities
Oz was a werewolf, meaning that he had the potential to transform into a berserk, lupine creature with enhanced strength, speed, stamina and sense of smell. He, like most werewolves, changed into animal form on the night of a full moon, the night preceding it, and the night following it.[6] Later, Oz acquired some level of control over his form by traveling around the world and learning about herbs, meditative techniques, and other forms of little-known treatment for his condition. He preferred to stay human, and only changed under great emotional stress.[21] By letting the energy of the wolf flow into the earth, he did not transform at all anymore, although the potential was still there, as evidenced by Bay.[27]
Oz in wolf-form
Oz had a highly enhanced sense of smell even when in human form. He was able to smell Willow from great distance although she didn't even wear perfume. Oz could also tell that she was fearful by her scent, mimicking an ability often attributed to many animals, especially canines.[15]
He demonstrated that werewolves could exert influence on their actions in bestial form: when Oz transformed for his battle with Veruca, he instantly attacked her until she was dead, completely ignoring Willow until killing Veruca.[21]
Oz had sufficient dexterity and aptitude with bows, using them on several occasions, including the battle against the mayor[19], and in helping Angel Investigations fight off Spike and Marcus[23].
Oz was a skilled musician, specializing in electric guitar. He was knowledgeable with regards to pop culture.[35]
Relationships
Romantic
- “A werewolf in love...”
- ―Oz [src]
Willow and Oz share their first kiss
- Willow Rosenberg — Oz was mystified when first seeing Willow during the World Culture Dance. He noticed Willow dressed as an Eskimo at the food table in the Bronze during his band's performance, showing interest in her while Devon was more interested in the beautiful Incan Mummy. [3] He then saw her during Halloween when she passed his van down the road while dressed provocatively when she was a ghost.[36] They finally met on Career Day when their exceptional intellects led them to being recruited by a software company. Later that day after Oz was treated for his bullet wound, they struck up a conversation about why the monkeys in animal crackers were the only one to wear pants.[4] When dating, Willow approached the relationship with caution, nervously asking Oz if he wanted to make out with her[8] while he took a calmer position, adoring Willow's worrying and cheerful personality and often calling her 'cute'. After Willow cheated on him, he, unlike Cordelia, took time to work things out before rekindling what they had because he missed her.[16] When it came to taking intimate steps, Oz was willing to allow them to reach that point when they were both ready while Willow tried to prove herself by preparing a romantic night during Christmas.[16] Willow was kidnapped and held at ransom by Mayor Wilkins, causing Oz to angrily destroy the cauldron used to destroy the Box of Gavrok after Wesley refused to to trade it for Willow. [37] They eventually made love before graduation, worried they might both die in the battle against the Mayor. When she claimed she felt "different", Oz responded that he knew exactly what she meant, despite not being a virgin himself.[19] Oz and Willow maintained their close-knit romantic bond during their first few months at UC Sunnydale. He began having an intense attraction for Veruca, a fellow werewolf. He was initially bewildered by this and repressed it due to his deep devotion to Willow[38], but eventually faltered. On the night of the full moon, he awoke with Veruca in a forest, having slept with her when he was a werewolf. Oz had no memory of this and became consumed with confusion and guilt. Veruca tried to coax him to accept his dark side and her, but he refused. Picking up on her dangerous and volatile nature, he locked her in the cage with him, sleeping with her again in the process when he wolfed out. His relationship with Willow came to a screeching halt when she walked in on this, angry and sorrowful. Oz tried to explain that he believed he had no choice only for her to ignore him. After saving Willow for Veruca's attempt on her life, Oz decided to leave Sunnydale to find out how to control his lycanthropy. He confronted a tear-streaked Willow who desperately tried to convince him to stay. Sorrowful, he did not change his mind but made sure to tell her he loved her before leaving Sunnydale.[21] Oz would later send for the remaining belongings he left in Sunnydale, but did not show up himself. This only despaired Willow more, reigniting the pain of his departure.[25] When he returned to Sunnydale, believing his goal was accomplished, he learned of Willow's relationship with Tara. Oz's strong emotional response to this led him to transform during the day. Since he could not truly cure his lycanthropy, Oz left Willow once, knowing she was happy with Tara. [26] When Oz met Willow once again, he still retained a fondness and affection towards Willow. However, he had fully moved on from her romantically, having falling in love with Bay.[27] When Willow visited Wonderland, Oz featured prominently in visions and flashback of "things most important".[39][40]
- Veruca — During college, both Oz and Veruca took interest in each other before meeting due to them being both werewolves.[41] Unlike Willow, Veruca shared Oz's knowledge and interest of music, giving them more to talk about. Willow became aware of the attraction Oz felt towards Veruca because he blushed behind his ears, which Willow insisted was meant for her only. Despite their opposing viewpoints about being werewolves, Oz and Veruca had sex twice during their werewolf transformations, first when Oz got out of his cage and second in his cage when he tried to prevent her from harming anyone. Veruca, believing they belonged together, tried to kill Willow after she found out about them. Oz intervened just as he and Veruca began transforming. Veruca first encouraged him to kill Willow and while it seemed he agreed, he instead turned against Veruca and tore out her throat in the subsequent fight.[21]
- Bayarmaa — The two met in Tibet and fell in love while they studied the Tibetan religion Bon. They married, and Bay gave birth to their son Kelden. They resided in a Tibetan temple with their pet dog, where together they taught other werewolves to overcome their demons.[27]
Friendships
- Xander Harris — Xander at first distrusted Oz when he started dating Willow, due to his natural distrust of someone in a band as well as some jealousy on his part.[6] Xander eventually got over his jealousy of Oz's relationship with Willow and the two became friends, though Oz did punch him when Xander upset Willow by rejecting her advances while she was under a love spell.[9] After Willow cheated on Oz with Xander, Oz never expressed any hostility towards him (though Xander noted he could tell Oz was angry with him due to his eyes, describing it as a "verbal non-verbal")[13] and the two quickly sustained mutual respect. When Xander questioned Oz about the best way to become a cool like him, Oz commented Xander had some identity issues, but that this was not the end of the world.[14] When reuniting in college, the two desisted from hugging as they both agreed they both were "too manly"[20], instead shaking hands. When Oz returned from Tibet, Xander was the first to step up to him and shake his hand while the others seemed uncomfortable and unsure of what to do.[26] A year later, Xander made a crude joke about sexbots only to earn glares from everyone, causing Xander to say "Too many girls. I miss Oz. He'd get it. He wouldn't say anything but... he'd get it."[42]
- Buffy Summers — Buffy and Oz got along very well. Oz had great respect for Buffy and would always follow her orders without question. When Buffy enrolled in UC Sunnydale, she had confided in him her unbearable roommate Kathy Newman, which raised a cause of concern for Oz how angry she had been.[41] Oz also agreed without question to give the Gem of Amarra to her ex-boyfriend Angel on Buffy's orders since he had a gig there anyway.[22] Like Xander and Willow, Oz was angry with Parker Abrams for using Buffy for sex and "wanted to smack him", expressing sympathy towards her.[24] Buffy liked Oz with Willow, believing him to be good for her at the time and had defended him and Willow's feelings for him against her boyfriend Riley who had a black-and-white view of humans and monsters, insisting that Oz couldn't help the way he was and that love wasn't rational.[26] Years later, Buffy was happy for Oz being able to have a family in Tibet and he had gave some much needed help to them when they were hiding from Twilight, letting them temporally lose their powers.[32]
- Cordelia Chase — Oz and Cordelia knew each other before they were members of the Scooby Gang, as they interacted when Cordelia dated Oz's band mate Devon MacLeish.[3] During the time when they both were Scoobies, the two seemed to get along well, with Cordelia never expressing the same hostility towards him as she did with the others. Oz in turn regarded her in a friendly manner but often seemed somewhat amused by her behavior, for example ironically wondering why he "couldn't meet a nice girl like that" after Cordelia ranted to him about Devon not showing up to a date.[3] When Oz visited Angel Investigations in Los Angeles Cordelia was delighted to see him, hugging him, asking him about how the gang was going and calling him the "total embodiment of all things Sunnydale, but they quickly ran out of things to say.[23]
- Devon MacLeish — Oz and Devon were bandmates, both members of Dingoes Ate My Baby. Though Devon was not in league with Oz's intelligence, Oz never responded negatively to Devon's simple-minded or crude comments. After Oz left Sunnydale, he contacted Devon to send his belongings to him, which he did. Upon his return, Oz went to Devon to ask if he had a place for him to stay.
Antagonistic
- Tara Maclay — When Oz returned to Sunnydale, Tara immediately felt nervous around Oz due to him (and everyone else) being unaware of her and Willow's relationship. Oz didn't notice at first. When Tara visited Willow's room the following morning and Oz answered, she was once again nervous and left, leaving Oz confused. When she later walked past him in the halls of UC Sunnydale, Oz smelled Willow's scent on her. During the confrontation, Oz deduced that she and Willow were in a romantic relationship. Out of anger and pain, he turned in a werewolf and attacked Tara. As she fled, he was captured by The Initiative.[26]
- Monroe — Monroe was a werewolf who joined Oz's monastery to learn to control his transformations. Though initially a successful student, he eventually came to hold views similar to those of Veruca, believing the wolf to be the best part of them. When Monroe and his group slaughtered many of the Buddhist monks residing in the Tibetan monastery out of anger at his former teachers, Oz seemed to want to defuse the situation, calmly telling a transformed Monroe he did not have to do this. Monroe would not hear it and tried to attack Oz, only for Bayarmaa to transform and protect herself and Oz. When Oz joined Buffy's side in the battle against the Twilight Group, Monroe came to join them. He explained that fighting against Twilight meant Oz was fighting to preserve magic, which he said meant that Oz had now come to his side.
Other
- Rupert Giles — As Buffy's Watcher, Giles served as Oz's main source of information on his wolf condition, as well as providing Oz with a cage to keep him contained during the full moon. The pair have a shared love of music and Oz is deeply complimentary of Giles' vinyl record collection.
- Angel — Despite their obvious similarities as supernatural beings fighting their natures by allying with the Scooby Gang, Oz and Angel rarely interacted. This was mainly due to the fact that Oz joined the gang during the attack of the Judge that saw Angel losing his soul for the first time.[7][8] After Angel regained his soul and returned to Earth, he and Oz maintained a civil interaction, such as when they witnessed the arrival of the vampire Willow in their world.[17] Oz also quickly volunteered to provide Angel with the Gem of Amara when Buffy claimed it.[22] When Oz arrived in Los Angeles, he and Angel exchanged brief words, Cordelia noting that their conversation was typical of their relationship.[23]
- Doyle — Doyle and Oz only met briefly, but they got along rather well, Oz helping Doyle and Cordelia rescue Angel from Spike and the sadistic Marcus.[23]
- Riley Finn — While Oz and Riley only met briefly, Riley quickly came to regard Oz as a friend due to their mutual contacts in the Scooby Gang. Riley eventually turned on his Initiative colleagues to rescue Oz when they caught him and experimented on him even after he turned back into a human.[26]
Gallery
|
The Daniel Osbourne article has a Photo Gallery. |
Behind the Scenes
- He was portrayed by Seth Green.
- Oz was briefly described in the shooting script for "Inca Mummy Girl", the first episode he appears in:
There's a quiet restraint and total lack of bitterness to [Oz's] sarcasm; where Devon is your typical excitable rock and roller, Oz is completely unflappable. His is the kind of cool that is completely unaware of itself.[43]
- Oz was first a recurring character in the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, appearing in 10 episodes in that season. He was then promoted to the regular cast in season three, appearing in 21 of the 22 episodes in that season (he was absent in "Consequences"). He then continued as regular in the fourth season for the first 6 episodes before lastly appearing in two guest star appearances ("New Moon Rising" and "Restless"). During his regular appearances in season four, he made a guest appearance in the first season of Angel in the episode "In the Dark". Overall Oz has appeared in a total of 41 episodes: 40 on Buffy and 1 guest appearance on Angel.
- Seth Green abruptly left the show early into the fourth season to pursue a career in movies, defending his actions saying that his character was better in a recurring capacity.
- There are three Oz-centric episodes: "Phases," "Wild at Heart," and "New Moon Rising." Marti Noxon states in the DVD commentary that these episodes are viewed as a "Willow/Oz Trilogy."
- Oz was originally supposed to be the one killed off by Angelus in Buffy Season Two, but the character's positive fan reaction resulted in the writers swapping him for Jenny Calendar.
- Seth Green later guest-starred on How I Met Your Mother with Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg). This show include also many guest-stars of Buffyverse like Danny Strong (Jonathan Levinson), Danielle Weeks (Debbie Foley), Harry Groener (Richard Wilkins), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), Kal Penn (Hunt/Brain man), Tom Lenk (Cyrus/Andrew Wells) and Amy Acker (Winifred Burkle/Illyria).
- In Stephen King's It, Seth Green's character sees the Pennywise as a werewolf. Also, his character Mark in seaQuest DSV is nicknamed "The Wolfman".
- Seth Green had previously played Alysson Hannigan's boyfriend in the film 'My Stepmother is an Alien'.
Appearances
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 2 | |||||||||||
| "When She Was Bad" Absent |
"Some Assembly Required" Absent |
"School Hard" Absent |
"Inca Mummy Girl" Appears |
"Reptile Boy" Absent |
"Halloween" Appears |
"Lie to Me" Absent |
"The Dark Age" Absent |
"What's My Line? Part One" Appears |
"What's My Line? Part Two" Appears |
"Ted" Absent | |
| "Bad Eggs" Absent |
"Surprise" Appears |
"Innocence" Appears |
"Phases" Appears |
"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" Appears |
"Passion" Absent |
"Killed by Death" Absent |
"I Only Have Eyes for You" Absent |
"Go Fish" Absent |
"Becoming, Part One" Appears |
"Becoming, Part Two" Appears | |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3 | |||||||||||
| "Anne" Appears |
"Dead Man's Party" Appears |
"Faith, Hope & Trick" Appears |
"Beauty and the Beasts" Appears |
"Homecoming" Appears |
"Band Candy" Appears |
"Revelations" Appears |
"Lovers Walk" Appears |
"The Wish" Appears |
"Amends" Appears |
"Gingerbread" Appears | |
| "Helpless" Appears |
"The Zeppo" Appears |
"Bad Girls" Appears |
"Consequences" Absent |
"Doppelgängland" Appears |
"Enemies" Appears |
"Earshot" Appears |
"Choices" Appears |
"The Prom" Appears |
"Graduation Day, Part One" Appears |
"Graduation Day, Part Two" Appears | |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 4 | |||||||||||
| "The Freshman" Appears |
"Living Conditions" Appears |
"The Harsh Light of Day" Appears |
"Fear, Itself" Appears |
"Beer Bad" Appears |
"Wild at Heart" Appears |
"The Initiative" Mention |
"Pangs" Absent |
"Something Blue" Mention |
"Hush" Absent |
"Doomed" Mention | |
| "A New Man" Absent |
"The I in Team" Absent |
"Goodbye Iowa" Absent |
"This Year's Girl" Absent |
"Who Are You?" Absent |
"Superstar" Absent |
"Where the Wild Things Are" Absent |
"New Moon Rising" Appears |
"The Yoko Factor" Absent |
"Primeval" Absent |
"Restless" Appears | |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 5 | |||||||||||
| "Buffy vs. Dracula" Absent |
"Real Me" Absent |
"The Replacement" Absent |
"Out of My Mind" Absent |
"No Place Like Home" Absent |
"Family" Absent |
"Fool for Love" Absent |
"Shadow" Absent |
"Listening to Fear" Absent |
"Into the Woods" Absent |
"Triangle" Absent | |
| "Checkpoint" Absent |
"Blood Ties" Absent |
"Crush" Absent |
"I Was Made to Love You" Mention |
"The Body" Absent |
"Forever" Absent |
"Intervention" Absent |
"Tough Love" Absent |
"Spiral" Absent |
"The Weight of the World" Absent |
"The Gift" Absent | |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 7 | |||||||||||
| "Lessons" Absent |
"Beneath You" Absent |
"Same Time, Same Place" Absent |
"Help" Absent |
"Selfless" Absent |
"Him" Absent |
"Conversations with Dead People" Absent |
"Sleeper" Absent |
"Never Leave Me" Absent |
"Bring on the Night" Absent |
"Showtime" Absent | |
| "Potential" Mention |
"The Killer in Me" Absent |
"First Date" Absent |
"Get It Done" Absent |
"Storyteller" Absent |
"Lies My Parents Told Me" Absent |
"Dirty Girls" Absent |
"Empty Places" Absent |
"Touched" Absent |
"End of Days" Absent |
"Chosen" Absent | |
Angel
| Angel: Season 1 | |||||||||||
| "City Of" Absent |
"Lonely Heart" Absent |
"In the Dark" Appears |
"I Fall to Pieces" Absent |
"Rm w/a Vu" Absent |
"Sense & Sensitivity" Absent |
"The Bachelor Party" Absent |
"I Will Remember You" Absent |
"Hero" Absent |
"Parting Gifts" Absent |
"Somnambulist" Absent | |
| "Expecting" Absent |
"She" Absent |
"I've Got You Under My Skin" Absent |
"The Prodigal" Absent |
"The Ring" Absent |
"Eternity" Absent |
"Five by Five" Absent |
"Sanctuary" Absent |
"War Zone" Absent |
"Blind Date" Absent |
"To Shanshu in L.A." Absent | |
| Angel: Season 3 | |||||||||||
| "Heartthrob" Absent |
"That Vision- Thing" Absent |
"That Old Gang of Mine" Absent |
"Carpe Noctem" Absent |
"Fredless" Absent |
"Billy" Absent |
"Offspring" Absent |
"Quickening" Absent |
"Lullaby" Absent |
"Dad" Mention |
"Birthday" Absent | |
| "Provider" Absent |
"Waiting in the Wings" Absent |
"Couplet" Absent |
"Loyalty" Absent |
"Sleep Tight" Absent |
"Forgiving" Absent |
"Double or Nothing" Absent |
"The Price" Absent |
"A New World" Absent |
"Benediction" Absent |
"Tomorrow" Absent | |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8
- Retreat
- Turbulence
- Twilight, Part Three (in flashback)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9
Willow: Wonderland
- Wonderland, Part One (in vision)
- Wonderland, Part Four (in vision)
Non-canon